


When He Can't Come Back

by Solnam



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, M/M, Murder, Pacifist Markus (Detroit: Become Human), Post-Canon, Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:34:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24265192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Solnam/pseuds/Solnam
Summary: Connor is no longer immortal.Hank feels anxious about it, and as he worried, the tragedy happens.
Relationships: Hank Anderson & Connor, Hank Anderson/Connor
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	When He Can't Come Back

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [돌아올 수 없다면](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/622258) by 솔남. 



> I am not a native English speaker.  
> I'm Korean. This is second time that I wrote a fanfic in English.  
> I wrote it in Korean 4 month ago, and then I translated it into English today,  
> so there can be awkward sentences.  
> If you find out those awkward sentences, please let me know, then I'll correct them.  
> Sorry for my bad English.  
> If you are interested in Korean, you can also read this fic in Korean. I added the URL.
> 
> Post-Canon after Markus Peaceful route,  
> Connor at the CyberLife Tower - Rescue Hank - Chicken Feed Ending
> 
> Connor died at least once in front of Hank.
> 
> I wrote it as Hankcon, I ship Hankcon, but there's almost none of romantic tension in this fic.
> 
> Warning : Major Character Death, violence(Hank kills people, but I didn't depicted details.)

  
  
  
  
  
  
"Isn't that a good thing?"

"What the fuck?"

Connor replied to Hank, who was asking again as if he was dumbfounded.

"Of course I'm sorry about the fire, but fortunately there were no casualties. It was uncomfortable that my memory was backed up by CyberLife. You don't want to play twenty questions, do you?"

Not long ago, there was a fire accident at CyberLife. And coincidentally, Connor's memory were in where the accident happened, and it was all burned out. In response, Connor is rather saying it's a good thing. Because another Connor who uploaded Connor's memory appeared and claimed that he was real, and Hank had to point a gun at two Connors to find out who was real. No matter how much androids gained temporary peace and freedom and was virtually in the state of CyberLife's surrender, it was still hard to believe CyberLife.

"I don't care whether I do that again. You don't think I recognize you?"

Connor smiled at the remark and said,

"I'm very glad you said that, but you might be able to figure it out, but other people are might not be able to."

"Oh, yeah, you always win me."

For a moment, the LED turned yellow as if he were lost in thought. Soon after, Connor asked with a tilt of his head.

"I know what you're worried about, but there's something I don't understand."

"What?"

Connor, who hesitated, managed to speak again.

"When my predecessor was shutdown at Stratford Tower and I waited for you in front of Kamski's house, I'm sure what you said was..."

>   
>  You know, I was hoping you wouldn't come back.  
>    
> 

A man who threw himself to protect him died instead, and then he returned, but this reaction was quite cold-hearted. When Connor said, "I'm just a machine replacing another machine, Lieutenant. You shouldn't get emotional about it." Hank said, "Fuck you." Maybe Hank said that because he didn't want to accept that Connor was a machine. Unlike his son, Cole, who can never come back again, Connor could come back, so he might have felt some sort of jealousy. But human emotions were complicated. At that time, Hank said that, but now Connor can't come back once he really dies like Cole, so he can't help but feeling very anxious. Connor was saying that didn't make sense For Connor. It is natural that he can't understand that because he has just learned how to feel.

"Jesus! Connor, It's... different from that. You are too reckless to throw your body away for others. Didn't you just do it out of habit because you thought you could come back?"

Connor, as an investigative android, became Hank's partner again and became the first android detective to work for android-related crimes. Although there was a controversy over whether such a person could be a detective because he killed two human when he infiltrated CyberLife, public opinion was like, killing two people was self-defensing because at that time, humans were massacring androids who were peacefully protesting. On top of that, there was a high public opinion that an android detective was essential to investigating hate crimes committed by android abusers, mainly the killing of androids, and Connor was the only one who could work as a detective.

In any case, there have been several dangerous incidents in which suspects who have been chasing after him attacked Connor or the detective around him for months after he continued to work, and each time Connor would either come at him without taking care of himself or get injured by protecting for others.

"It wasn't exactly like that. I don't feel pain, but humans do, so I decided it would be better to get injured on my side, who is android. And the reason my predecessor at Stratford Tower decided to protect you was because you had only a 40 percent chance of survival."

"I didn't ask that."

Hank squinted his eyes and glared at Connor and said, touching his forehead with his right hand. Connor's remarks that he'd rather get hurt instead, the mechanical part that sometimes makes him feel alien - Hank, of course, didn't think Connor was a machine. -, he didn't like these all either.

"That's it, please take care of yourself if you realized that I-, I worry... you..."

Hank was embarrassed to say it directly that he was worried about Connor. Connor wasn't able to figure it out that whether Hank wanted him not to come back. He didn't know whether Hank really meant it or not. It wasn't something he could have figured out by arithmetic. Connor replied with a tilt of his head. 

"Okay, Lieutenant."

Although Connor answered liked that, in Hank's view, Connor didn't change much. He was still reckless, he would still throw himself away, and he would still hurt. Whenever that happens, Hank checked whether Connor was hurt or not, if he was seriously injured or slightly injured, and then got mad at Connor. Fortunately, one, two, three years, over time, there was no such thing as excessive bleeding Thirium or causing major damage to the biocomponents. So, even though in Hank's view, Connor seemed reckless, Connor was right to be shielding himself from his own standards. And objectively, it was right that Hank was overprotecting Connor. In particular, that's what Gavin Reed see.

"Working as detectives are all dangerous stuffs. I don't know why he is so overprotecting a tincan, no, an, android,(he didn't want to be punished for his anti-android remarks) who don't even feel pain when he get hurt."

Jeffrey Fowler, who had been shedding his eyes when he said tincan, agreed with it except for the tincan part.

Hank's overprotection, however, was of no use in the end. Connor's self-control was more important. The one thing Hank overlooked was that, to Connor, Hank was the first person who make him feel attached, so since he was so precious to him, if Hank was in danger, he would consider Hank's safety more superior than his own safety. In other words, when Hank is in danger, Connor no longer shield himself.

Let's consider what happened at Stratford Tower. As soon as the Deviant was about to go on a shooting spree, Connor saw that Lieutenant Hank Anderson had only a 40 percent chance of survival. Even when Hank's survival chance was 89 percent, Connor chose to save Hank, so as soon as he saw the 40 percent figure, he chose to throw his body without a single hesitation to protect Hank, and as a result, Connor's predecessor was hit with a massive gunshot, bleeded Thirium excessively, and died.

Over the years they've been together, Connor has been so precious to Hank as Hank is precious to Connor, and even long before that, in fact, he would always take a step foward and act first when dangerous situations came to protect Connor.

It was the same this time. This time, he had to be protected even more. Since the suspect in the serial android killings was the family of Agent 54 who was killed by Connor when he infiltrated CyberLife, it was highly likely that the suspect wants extreme revenge. Just before he opened the door, Hank pulled his gun and loaded it and told Connor.

"Stay back."

"Yes, Lieutenant."

Connor followed Hank's words well when the situation is like this. Hank took a deep breath and opened the door. At that moment, the suspect behind the door immediately hit Hank and a fierce physical fight began. Hank was a veteran detective, but he struggled because he was already in his mid-50s but his opponent was a lively young man. Connor who followed immediately tried to help Hank, but was interrupted by a bullet shot by an accomplice who was hiding on the other side and looking for Connor. Fortunately, Connor was as fast as the bullet could have brushed his arm, and Connor immediately fired back at his accomplice who shot him. But he also avoided bullets, so there was no big income. In the meantime, the suspect, who was fighting Hank, took the gun from Hank and quickly took Hank hostage and pointed the gun at his head. Then he shouted at Connor. 

"Throw away the gun first. Hands up!"

Connor, who thinks Hank more important, followed the instructions for now. The accomplice's gun was aimed at Connor. The man who took Hank hostage opened his mouth.

"You don't know how long I've been waiting for this moment."

"Shit, I didn't know he had an accomplice... I'm sorry, Connor."

If they knew for sure that he had an accomplice, they would have had more company. Connor scanned his accomplice. He was the suspect's brother, so he was also Agent 54's family.

"No... I Am sorry. It's all because of me." 

"I'm not going to give you time to talk. But I don't want to kill you so fast right here."

He used the word "kill." Even though he is an android abomination, he feels that androids are actually "living." So, it's highly likely that if it wasn't for the death of the family, he wouldn't have been corrupted as a criminal of android hate. Connor's LED turned red, agitated and feeling guilty by the fact.

"...what do you want?"

"You won't feel pain if you get shot cause you are just a plastic asshole. But... how about removing biocomponent #8451, the pacemaker module? I don't know whether you plastics feel pain or not, but it makes me feel good when I can see you die slowly. Remove it yourself. And throw it over there."

"Connor! Never do that!"

"If you think to do something else and move, I'll shoot you just the way you are. Maybe this old man too. I'll save this old man's life if you do as I tell you. Because he's human."

Connor turned the instantaneous simulation around. Even if he attack the suspect who caught Hank, or if he attack the accomplice, the results were failures. There was only one option that had the potential to survive. If Connor throws the biocomponent toward Hank, and Hank wins over two people who were holding the gun alone for a minute and 45 seconds while Connor is dying, and Hank puts the biocomponent back on him within a minute and 45 seconds, Connor could survive. Unfortunately, no matter how good and experienced Hank is, he is now deprived of his gun, so he is unarmed, there are two enemies, and both are armed, and the gun was aimed to Hank's temple, and Hank is not an android who can momentarily simulate, and 1 minute and 45 seconds is quite a short time. Therefore, the probability of success was too low. Above all, Hank's survival rate was only 13 percent. The possibility both of them dying is too high.

So Connor gave up the option altogether. He had to save Hank. Connor slowly unbuttoned his clothes and tried to take out the biocomponent. Then, in a voice full of anger and despair, Hank shouted. 

"Connor!! No!!"

"...I'm sorry, Hank, but there's no way we can win when I simulate. Please don't move, I'm begging you..."

Telling such a lie, Connor threw his biocomponent to the accomplice and fell to the floor. The accomplice picked up the biocomponent with a look of satisfaction. From where Connor's biocomponent were removed, blue blood, Thirium flowed down. He felt a sense of difficulty breathing deeply, like a Dwuff Gurami thrown out of a water tank he had seen before. What he said was right. This was... painful. What happened to his predecessor at the Stratford Tower came to his mind. One minute, 45 seconds, 44 seconds before it shuts down. A red warning window covered the front. Connor had managed to see what in front of him in the unseen view. At that time, what Connor saw was Hank's face full of despair, which Connor had never seen before.

>   
>  Everytime you died and came back... I thought about Cole. 
> 
> How much I wanted to bring him back. I'd given anything to hold him again... 
> 
> But humans don't come back...  
>    
> 

In fact, not only humans but also androids cannot return when they die. Connor was able to return at that time because it was an unusual case that he had backed-up memory that could be inherited. But now Connor can't come back either. The place where Connor's memory was backed up was burned, and he didn't back it up again.

'Is he thinking of Cole?'

When the idea came to his mind, Connor realized what he had greatly overlooked. He realized it too late. He was filling Hank with a vacancy. They lived together in Hank's house, they walked Sumo, they laughed and chatted every day, and sometimes Connor nagged Hank to take care of his health, and Connor got scolded for being dangerous while working together. In the process, Hank was slowly overcoming depression. So it might have been better to bet on a 13 percent chance. Hank, who even lost Connor, could have played Russian roulette again. No, maybe he can pull the trigger that is sure to kill himself, not the Russian roulette. 

'No, that must not be happen...'

When Connor thought that far, he thought he should live now. But now he is not even in a condition to run simulations.

'What am I supposed to do? What... what should I do...?'

"...Han...k..."

As he crawled toward Hank like an instinct, his accomplice fired three shots at Connor's back.

"Connor! No!!"

A large amount of Thirium flowed down. Connor then stopped crawling toward Hank for now. It was because he had to live for now. Not for himself, but for Hank. And he kept thinking.

'Do they know the exact time until I'm shut down? He knows exact function of the biocomponent and its serial numbers...'

But he didn't have time to think anymore. There was not much time left before the shutdown, but more importantly, it seemed like Hank was about to provoke the one who was pointing a gun at Hank. So Connor decided to pretend to be dead. He closed his eyes. Soon after Connor's movement stopped, the man holding Hank hostage slowly lowered the gun from Hank's temple, thinking it was unnecessary to kill him now. As soon as he lowered the gun completely, he fell to Hank's fist full of anger. Hank shot the man's forehead in one shot without hesitation. Then his brother screamed and shot Hank. No, he tried to shoot. Instead, however, being shot was Connor, who managed to get up and protect Hank.

"Connor!"

Hank exclaimed, surprised. Just before the accomplice tried to shoot Hank again, Hank moved one faster and shot one bullet on his forehead. Hank wanted to hold onto Connor and make sure he was okay, but he didn't have time to do that, so he ran to the man he shot, took the biocomponent he was holding out of his hand, then he turned Connor and quickly put it back in place. At the same time, Connor screamed. Now the problem was that Connor bleeded too much Thirium. Hank held Connor in his arms and cried.

"Connor, Connor! Hang on, hang on!"

"Hank, really... I'm so sorry."

"That's it! So please hang on, that's all I want!"

"Hank, please live on. Even without me..."

It was such a cruel request. It wasn't just Hank's impression. Connor himself, who is spitting out the words, thought so. After Cole died, Hank lived a life that he lives just because he could not die. It will be exactly same after Connor's death.

"You fucking android! What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Please live. Promise me."

The earnest brown eyes met the blue eyes. Hank couldn't say anything. He just mumbled his lips. If he say he promises, it was like accepting Connor's death. He couldn't have done that. But he thought it would be too late if he doesn't say anything. Hank realized he was already thinking Connor was about to die when he thought it was going to be too late. Soon there was an endless stream of self-loathing.

"Connor..."

"Please..."

Now Connor's eyes were watery. Hank closed his eyes and opened them, then barely opened his mouth.

"......I promise."

He felt really miserable. But he had no choice but to promise. Only then did Connor slowly close his eyes and smile.

"Thank you."

The LED on Connor blinks and the light goes off. Connor's head dropped. Hank muttered with a blank look, feeling that there is no more strength of Connor in his arms.

"......Connor?"

Of course, there was no more answer.

Even if there was no promise, as long as Connor laid out his life to save Hank, Hank could never take his own life, no matter how painful it was. Holding his precious one, who could never return, tightly in his arms, Hank realized the beginning of a hellish life dotted with all kinds of regrets again.


End file.
